Crappy Facebook Ads

Today I want to talk about crappy Facebook ads and tips on how to improve them.

Wrong-sized / Text-filled / Blurry Images

With over 50,000,000 singles ready to mingle, not one could provide a decent-sized photo for this ad. Ad images are 110 px wide by 80 px tall. If your image is square or vertical, Facebook will resize it and you end up with an ugly empty space that shows you're too lazy to crop or resize your image.

 

You know what's hell? Trying to read the tiny words in this tiny wrong-sized image. Since the specs are already so small, don't choose images with so much text in them.

 

Is that supposed to be a home or the cliff where Scar killed Mufasa?

Tip: Choose clear, recognizable images with little or no text and correct dimensions. Your image should entice people to click the ad, not to squint or give them headaches. 


Irrelevant Image or Copy

Whoever chose this image must have been drunk with Molson M. What does it have to do with the ad? If you drink beer you'll become a dancer?

The "not for kids" angle might work on TV where there's time to build up the humor and deliver the punch line. However, it just seems contrived in a Facebook ad. How does announcing "Negotiating is NOT for kids!" convince us that your advice is worth listening to? Plus, the folks at Karrass have obviously never seen kids throw tantrums in the supermarket.

Tip: Your image and copy should compliment each other. Copy should be convincing, straight to the point and clearly state how the product or service can benefit the consumer.


Redundant Redundancy

The brand name makes up the entire title, which is already in the web address. The web address is reiterated in the copy because apparently we're blind and missed it. It's repeated yet again in the image, in case we still haven't figured it out.

 

I think this one is intentional though! haha

Tip: You have 25 and 135 characters max for your title and body, respectively. Don't waste it! Unlike Google, people don't go to Facebook to search, so spewing out information is not enough. People go on Facebook to socialize or to be entertained, so use catchy adjectives to grab their attention.

Vague / No call-to-action

How do I participate? Do I answer a survey? Do I join a contest? Why do I have to be a 45-year-old male?

What?

Tip: Vague copy may entice people to learn more, but since Facebook ads are pay-per-click, you pay every time someone clicks your ad. Therefore, you want quality clicks, not just "What does this mean" clicks. Hold off enough information so people will want to learn more, but provide enough so they know what they're getting into. 


Bad Targeting

This is an actual ad that appeared on my Facebook page. If done properly, Facebook ads are targeted to your specific demographic and interests. I suppose I'm in the correct location and age range, but this has nothing to do with my interests. I don't even drink!

Tip: Some ads can get away with general demographic or location targeting (ex. restaurants, holidays, movies) but some need to be targeted more specifically (ex. jobs, seminars, niche products). The more relevant your targeting is, the higher the chance you'll find a potential customer.


Too Much Exposure

I click Facebook ads for 2 reasons: (1) I'm actually interested or (2) they appear so many times that I want to punish the advertiser by literally making them pay. Other people probably aren't as mean as me, but it never hurts not to annoy potential customers.

Tip: Overexposure usually means your ad has been running too long or your budget is too big. Since Facebook ads are pay-per-click, a higher budget generally means your ads will run more often. If you have a small target market and a large budget, Facebook will expose your ad to the same people multiple times simply to exhaust the money.


Long story short, Facebook ads may seem cheap and risk-free, but can be costly if done incorrectly. So do it right and if you have questions, feel free to comment below!

Til then,
Mae

Related links:
Facebook Ads Best Practices